


Box Office

by orphan_account



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2018-12-30 23:22:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12119478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Melbourne, 1938. Phryne ponders another movie investment. A short fic coming round again to celebrate the *new* *new* news of theMiss Fisher movie, now with a scheduled filming date.





	1. Chapter 1

**Melbourne, 1938**

“Did Dot leave her movie magazines lying around again?” Jack entered from the kitchen door, removing his hat and overcoat before he leaned over to Phryne for a quick kiss. 

“I do occasionally enjoy them, darling,” she answered. “But no, this is research.” 

As Jack took a seat at the kitchen table he could see the results of Phryne’s afternoon of intense concentration. Several months movie magazines were opened to the pages reporting on box office receipts like sports scores, and Phryne had filled several notebook pages with columns of dates and numbers, calculating averages and making projections. 

“Do you remember the letter I got from Kate a few days ago?” she asked. 

“Kate Hepburn?” he repeated. 

“Of course, Jack. What other Kate would I mean.” 

“Yes, but your replies to Kate don’t generally require mathematics.” 

“I have invested in film before, Jack. It’s just been a while.” 

Eight years ago — dear Lord, had it been that long? — Phryne met a young and not yet famous Katharine Hepburn outside of a theater in Times Square. There was a dead body involved. By the time Jack arrived, Phryne and Kate had become fast friends and were running circles around the New York police department, which turned out to be a very good thing for the family of the deceased. 

“Can we start at the beginning?” Jack asked. “What investment is Kate asking for?” 

“This a fickle business,” Phryne began. “And not everyone can see as clearly as I _always_ have that Kate is a tremendous star.” 

“She won an Academy Award for Best Actress.” 

“Four years ago. A lifetime ago in the minds of the larger public.” Phryne selected a magazine from her stack, flipped to a particular page, and passed it to Jack as if she was handing over key evidence in a murder investigation. “Look here,” she gestured. “Theater owners are calling her box office poison.” 

Jack dutifully took the magazine and scanned the article. “Box office poison?” he repeated. “Isn’t that a little overwrought.” 

“Kate certainly thinks so,” Phryne replied. “There are still plenty of small-minded people who think that movie-goers won’t buy tickets when such a strong, smart, adventurous woman leads the story.” 

“But Kate has a plan to set them straight,” Jack ventured. 

“Of course she does. She happens to own the film rights to a fabulous new play called _The Philadelphia Story_. The playwright wrote it especially for her. She’ll do the play in New York, and then on tour across America. After that, she’ll make the movie.” 

“I imagine it won’t come to Australia,” Jack mused. 

“The play? No, we’ll never see it. But if we help with the film…” 

“Isn’t that what the big studios are for?” 

“She may sell it to a studio, eventually. But she just needs some seed money now. To pay someone to adapt the play, for starters.” 

“Of course,” Jack answered. He rarely went to the pictures, much less had knowledge of the phases of the film development process. It was easier, he had learned, simply to agree at this point in the conversation. 

Phryne read his relative silence. “It’s an investment,” she stated. 

“I’m not disagreeing with you, Phryne. Have I ever once questioned your investment strategies?” 

“You could have questioned more with the emu farm debacle.” 

“Unless there are emus in the movie, I think we’re safe.” 

“I can’t tell you that for certain, Jack,” Phryne replied, eyes sparkling. “I haven’t seen the script.” 

Phryne pushed her chair back from the kitchen table, gave Jack a kiss, and crossed to the corner alcove where she kept her address book. “What time is it in New York?” she asked, flipping the pages to find the one with Kate’s private number. 

Jack glanced at his wristwatch and did the calculations. “Four a.m.” 

“Too early for Kate,” Phryne answered, but looked longingly at the phone receiver. 

“But you _want_ to call,” Jack observed. 

“I like to move quickly once I’ve made up my mind,” she teased, setting the address book down and moving in close. “Or don’t you remember?” 

“I thought you might have learned some patience from me by now,” he parried. 

“Never, Jack,” she answered, settling comfortably in his lap and running her hand through his hair. “I’m ready to make this movie right now.” 


	2. Still Going!

**December update**

If you missed the chance to contribute to Kickstarter campaign earlier in the year, a new crowdfunding page is up at <https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/miss-fisher-the-movie/x/5961690#/>. 


	3. May

For any fans who may only get their Miss Fisher news through this site (vs. other social media channels), [_Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears_](http://variety.com/2018/film/news/australian-tv-miss-fisher-set-for-movie-adaptation-1202817568/) is set to starting filming October, 2018. Crowdfunding is open through 19 June 2018 at this link: [Miss Fisher the movie](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/miss-fisher-the-movie-women-adventure/x/5961690#/). 

[(this poster can be yours)](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/miss-fisher-the-movie-women-adventure/x/5961690#/)

**Author's Note:**

> [Don't wait. Do what Phryne would do :-)](http://www.missfisherthemovie.com/)
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> If you are curious about Phryne & Jack's previous adventures with Kate Hepburn, that story is [Manhattan Murder Mystery](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10327499/chapters/22831817)


End file.
